Well control procedures aim to extract materials while protecting the environment and workers. Oil companies must comply with regional laws and provide information to inspectors. Active and passive measures are used to monitor and prevent emergencies. Engineers design well control systems and monitor wells on and off site. Government agencies set and enforce standards, and companies with poor safety records may face consequences.
Well control is a set of procedures to control conditions around a well with the aim of extracting useful materials while protecting the health of the environment and the safety of workers. Businesses engaged in drilling, exploration and related oil and gas activities must comply with regional laws relating to well control, including providing information on the procedures used to inspectors. Inspectors can evaluate a well at any time during unannounced visits, as well as carry out regular inspections on a schedule.
There are two separate components to check well: active and passive measures. Active measures involve monitoring conditions in the well and adjusting equipment, while passive measures require the use of static equipment such as explosion prevention devices to prevent emergency situations. It can help to imagine an oil well as a car. If the oil company is the driver, active measures are activities such as regulating the vehicle’s acceleration, while passive measures are things such as wearing seat belts to prevent the driver from slamming into the window in a crash.
Before oil companies start drilling, they carefully map the geological formations in the area and develop a well control plan with the assistance of engineers. During exploration procedures, these engineers monitor pressure levels in the well and take samples to check for problems such as unstable ground or deposits of hazardous materials. When the oil company establishes a permanent well, engineers design appropriate well control systems such as pressure monitors and pressure control valves. They also install passive measures.
Engineers can monitor wells on site as well as track them off site, using remote data transmission. Well control systems usually issue alarms in emergency situations such as dangerous high pressure or uncontrolled release of materials, alerting workers so they can respond and correct the situation. In the event of a blowout, where a well begins to release oil and gas into the environment, the response usually includes fire crews along with hazmat specialists to get the well under control and clean up the area.
A government agency is usually responsible for setting control standards and enforcing them with the use of inspections, outreach and education. These agencies maintain security statistics and regularly evaluate them to identify emerging industry trends and areas of concern. Companies with poor safety records may have their oil and gas leases revoked or suspended until they can develop a plan to reform safety procedures. They can also face fines for pollution or occupational health and safety violations.
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